March 14, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Strait of Hormuz Open?

Featured image The U.S. military devastated the military installations on Kharg Island, Iran’s major oil transport facility, but left the oil infrastructure alone. President Trump threatened to blow up the oil facilities, too: “The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump said in a statement Friday evening, »
March 14, 2026 — John Hinderaker

How Deep the Fraud

Featured imageThe widespread fraud in Minnesota’s welfare programs, centered in the Somali community, has been a local story for a long time. Last December, it hit the national news in a big way. The story is significant in itself, but also because it suggests that fraud in federal/state welfare programs is probably common around the country. True, it is no doubt worse in Minnesota because of the gross incompetence (or complicity, »
March 14, 2026 — Steven Hayward

The Week in Pictures: Schroedinger’s Ayatollah

Featured imageIs he alive or is he dead? When it comes to the new ayatollah, the answer is ultimately Yes. If he is alive, it won’t be for long. Who wants to tell him? Sadly, I don’t have any memes yet for Judge Lawrence VanDyke’s amazing dissent at the 9th Circuit Friday.  (If you haven’t heard about this, see the third item here.) Headlines of the week:   And finally. . »
March 14, 2026 — Scott Johnson

It didn’t take long

Featured imageIt didn’t take long for the mainstream media to come up with a preferred story line for Ayman Mohamad Ghazali’s wild terrorist attack at West Bloomfield’s Temple Israel synagogue. In addition to the New York Times stories cited below, see, for example, this Associated Press story (“Man who rammed into Michigan synagogue had just lost family in an Israeli strike in Lebanon”), this Washington Post story (“Suspect in synagogue crash »
March 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Judge Boasberg Strikes Again

Featured imageThe Department of Justice is investigating whether any criminal conduct was involved in the Federal Reserve Board’s proposed Taj Mahal building renovation. A grand jury issued subpoenas in connection with that investigation, to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell among others. I have no idea whether a crime was committed–by default, I assume not–but from what I know of the insane Fed boondoggle, it is worth looking into. But my opinion is »
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March 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

No More Churchill, No More Austen

Featured imageAdd the Bank of England to the list of institutions that have gone completely bonkers. It is planning to replace, on U.K. currency, the images of important figures from British history with animals: Plans to replace Winston Churchill with badgers on banknotes have been branded “loony and mad”. On Wednesday, the Bank of England announced plans to put native animals such as hedgehogs, puffins and badgers on banknotes. *** The »
March 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Americans Support the SAVE Act

Featured imageA large majority of Americans want honest elections, and as a result, voter ID consistently polls at 75% or 80% approval. The SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship to register, which is actually something different. Perhaps that why it is a little less popular than generic voter ID proposals, or perhaps it is the campaign that Democrats have waged against it. Nevertheless, a strong majority of Americans favor the SAVE »
March 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Freedom For Cuba?

Featured imageOf the three countries that President Trump has taken steps to liberate, the tyranny closest to collapsing is Cuba’s. Many of Cuba’s young people have left, its Communist government is utterly incompetent, and, with the supply of free or cheap Venezuelan oil cut off, the Communists can’t keep the power on. So I think the downfall of Cuba’s Communist Party, which has misruled that island for more than 60 years, »
March 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

All in the family?

Featured imageI reported on the contempt hearing called by Minnesota federal judge Jeffrey Bryan in “For want of a shoelace.” Judge Bryan ordered United States Attorney Daniel Rosen to attend and answer to the Department of Lost and Found that Judge Bryan was running for ICE in some 28 cases. Judge Bryan’s order scheduling the contempt hearing is posted online here. The absurdist playwright Eugène Ionesco had nothing on Judge Bryan. »
March 12, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Motive unclear

Featured imageJohn covers the basics of the two (2) terrorist attacks that took place today in America: one at a Michigan synagogue/school and the second at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. I do want to make one point about alleged motive. We all know what the motive was. The New York Post headline on the Michigan attack, Would-be Michigan car bomber rammed explosives-laden truck into Temple Israel preschool — before »
March 12, 2026 — John Hinderaker

The War In Iran, Jill Biden’s Memoir, and More

Featured imageLast night I was on the Rita Panahi Show, with Caroline Marcus filling in for Rita. We talked about the war in Iran, reports of possible drone attacks on California, whether Jill Biden’s memoir will give us the straight story of her husband’s withdrawal from the 2024 race, whether illegal immigration should be a crime, and more. The video below leads off with Lefties Losing It. I come on at »
March 13, 2026 — Bill Glahn

One for you, nineteen for me

Featured image‘Cause I’m the taxman, Yeah, I’m the taxman, And you’re working for no one but me. From the New York Post, Extreme Mamdani estate tax proposal goes right after New York’s middle class families. The New York mayor submitted a dozen or so proposals to the state legislature in Albany to raise more tax revenue. I’m guessing he needs the money to pay for his free bus service. The headline »
March 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Not all in the family

Featured imageThat didn’t take long. Judge Bryan has denied United States Attorney Dan Rosen’s motion that he recuse himself in the habeas case of Tong Xiong’s. In his seven-page order, Judge Bryan holds that the motion is procdurally improper and substantively deficient. Alpha News has posted the order online here. Judge Bryan suggests that the case brought against the Trump administration defendants in Minnesota v. Noem is nothing more than background »
March 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Quote of the day

Featured imageJudge Lawrence VanDyke sits on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Alliance for Justice pays this backhanded tribute to him: Throughout his career, Lawrence VanDyke has shown his dedication to serving partisan interests at the expense of clean air, clean water, reproductive rights, LGBTQ equality…” and so on. I could stop right there and say that’s good enough for me. But Judge VanDyke has dissented from the Ninth Circuit’s »
March 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Priorities

Featured imageIf you go looking on the home page of the Star Tribune for a story on the wild anti-Semitic attack at Michigan’s Temple Israel yesterday, you won’t find it. Ditto re the terrorist attack and murder at Old Dominion University. It’s not for want of space on the home page. The Star Tribune home page lists more than 40 stories, columns, and features. Yesterday’s terrorist stories just aren’t deemed that »
March 12, 2026 — John Hinderaker

More Islamic Terrorism [Updated]

Featured imageAt Old Dominion University, a gunman attacked an ROTC class, shooting the teacher, a retired military instructor. A student averted more bloodshed by stabbing the terrorist to death. The terrorist has been identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh. He had already served a criminal sentence for terrorism-related crimes: In 2017, Jalloh, a former member of the Virginia National Guard, was sentenced to 11 years in prison plus five years supervised release »
March 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

On the media landscape

Featured imageMy oldest daughter, Eliana Johnson, is editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon. The Beacon also has a comapanion Substack site here. Eliana appeared yesterday on Katie Miller’s podcast to discuss the media landscape as she has seen it in the course of her career and from her perch at the Free Beacon. Even though I am familiar with Eliana’s work and assessments, Katie asked good questions and elicited good answers. »